Relearning to Breathe
by Smashing Pots
Summary: She was safe in the Muggle world. Had a successful career & hadn’t touched her wand in three years. Thought she’d finally put being a witch behind her. Until he showed up, demanding she return to the world of magic. And he wouldn’t take no for an answer.


Disclaimer: I own nothing from Harry Potter; all characters and affiliates belong to J.K Rowling.

Author's notes at the bottom of the page. Enjoy the chapter and please leave a comment when you're done.

**Re-learning to Breathe**

**-**

**Overdue**

With her fingers steepled under her chin, Hermione Granger observed the woman seated in front of her desk, who looked rather small in the large, royal blue swivelling chair.

"So. Why do you think you're most suitable for the job?" she asked in a cool, professional voice.

"Well, I have the qualifications - you'll see on my paperwork, there, on your desk - and I will work harder than anyone else you're thinking about hiring, I can guarantee you that much."

The woman had a strong, confident tone of voice, contradicting greatly with her small size. Hermione liked that.

"Very well. What about past work experience?"

The woman shifted a little, meshing together her fingers, similar to Hermione. "Well, I worked in a glass factory for the past few years making windows and other products, so I have the experience in goods of that sort. I think that'll be useful for my wanted position here."

"Hm. What about over time?" Incredibly formal, Hermione kept her questions brief and straight to the point. No use wasting time with pointless small talk.

"Not a problem for me. I'm willing to work as long as I have to, each day." Good answer, Hermione thought. She liked this woman.

"And your people skills? How efficient are you at working with others your own age, perhaps older?"

"I can manage. I haven't a problem working in a group. I'm no antisocialist, if that's what you mean." The woman's tone seemed a little clipped. Hermione smiled. She rather enjoyed business.

"All right. I believe I have enough here. I'll give you a call back in a week's time, informing you whether or not you've received the job."

"Thank you." The woman rose from the chair and left Hermione's office, leaving her alone with the folder on her desk.

Being Deputy Manager of 'Phillipson's Retail and Stock' meant that she was partially an interviewer, dealing with all the applicants for any jobs that were available, giving the actual Manager more time to deal with existing employees, products, claims, etc.

Personally, Hermione enjoyed her job. She was well paid, she liked the position she was in, and she liked seeing the potential workers of the building so she herself could assess whether or not they deserved the job they were applying for. And she liked having her own office.

The paperwork, however, was a different story.

After a while, seeing the same sheets of paper with the same sort of information on them grew tedious, and while the physical (sort of) aspect of the job was fun, she could do without the folders that kept appearing on her desk. And organising them all was the worst.

It seemed like a lifetime ago when all she had to do was give a small wave of her wand and they would be neat and tidy, just like that. But that wasn't an option anymore, because Hermione no longer counted herself as a witch; she had turned her back on the magical world, and intricate herself back into Muggle society.

So, organising them all by hand was the only option. And, really, she was fine with that. Besides, she could always get someone else to do it.

Taking the cup of steaming morning coffee on her desk into her hand, she reached for the folder to browse through another applicant's qualifications and details, when someone knocked on her office door.

"Come in," she called.

The building's secretary, Kate Millson, opened the door and poked her blonde head through.

"There's a man here to see you, Miss Granger. Says it's important." She told Hermione in her strong northern accent.

Hermione frowned, wondering who it was. She didn't have any more booked interviews or appointments until late afternoon.

"What does he look like?" she asked Kate, who frowned.

"Tall sort of man. All dressed in black, he is. Kind of intimidating. Long, black hair, looks a bit greasy, hooked nose…bit scary, he is."

Hermione felt herself freeze up. Hooked nose. Greasy, black hair. It _couldn't _be. Those singular descriptions brought back memories…there was only _one _person she'd ever known who fit those traits…

"Well? Shall I send him in? He seemed impatient." Kate asked, when Hermione said nothing.

Hermione blinked. Send him in? If he was who she thought…sending him away would probably serve her worse.

If it was who she thought it was…_why _was it him? No need to panic, she thought. She could handle it.

"Yes, you'd better," she said. Kate's head disappeared after a nod and the door clicked shut.

Hermione took a careful, deep breath and mentally prepared herself, as she had done three years prior when she had announced to Minerva McGonagall that she was leaving the wizarding world and had snapped her wand.

She could deal with it. With him. All she needed to be was calm. Professional. Pretend he was another interviewee, rather than an old professor from a life she was trying to forget. That was easy enough. Yes, she wasn't Deputy Manager for nothing.

She didn't have to wait long to have her suspicions confirmed; the door opened quietly, though with more force than if it had been thrown open, and in he strode, looking every bit the intimidating bastard she remembered.

"Miss Granger," he said curtly, closing the door softly behind him.

"Professor Snape? What an…interesting surprise…" she did her best to sound surprised, and keep her voice cool.

Why, oh why, did it have to be Snape?

He scowled at her, and waved his wand over the door to cast what she assumed was a Silencing charm. She cursed herself as she watched his wand with disguised interest. It had been so long since she'd seen magic - seen a wand, even. She could even see the air shimmer.

"Skip the dreadful pleasantries. Do not pretend to be ignorant of my purpose in coming here this morning." He strode across the room and sat heavily in the blue chair in front of her desk.

She watched him casually. "I'd say you're a little overdue, are you not?" came the quip she couldn't resist. He snarled at her.

"I don't have the patience to play a silly game of sidestepping with you, Miss Granger. As you have confirmed that you know why I am here, let us be done with this."

"I'm assuming you're here to try and convince me to return to the magical world, yes? Well, let me save you the trouble by telling you that I'm staying right here. I'm not going back."

"Miss Granger, do not test me. You will be returning with me to Hogwarts, where you will be reinitiated as a member of the Wizarding community." He sounded like he was close to growling.

Hermione shifted in her seat a little. He was still as overbearing as ever, it seemed. But she wasn't his student any more. "No, I wont be. I have a life here that I'm happy with, as a Muggle. I'm not a witch any more. I don't want to be one."

"Foolish girl! Of course you are still a witch! You will always be a witch, no matter what you try and do. You do not belong in this world, Miss Granger." He had moved in the chair and was now leaning forward, fists clenching slightly.

Hermione was starting to lose her patience, already. She had forgotten what Snape was like. The tension and animosity was rolling off of him and into her.

"I told you, I don't _want _to be a witch any more! I want nothing to do with magic. You cannot force me back against my will."

"Oh, believe me, Miss Granger," his voice had become silky, "I can do exactly that."

She glared at him. "Why do you even care what I do with my life, anyway?"

"I do not care, Miss Granger. I am simply here on orders. Headmistress McGonagall was very adamant in her decision to bring you back. I believe her words were, 'you are not to return until you bring Miss Granger back'. She was devastated at the loss of her _precious _Gryffindor cub, and I, for one, do not wish to stay here any longer than necessary. So, you _will _be returning with me, one way or the other." His voice could have cut steel, she thought idly.

"I've made a life here! I cant just leave everything, even if I wanted to! Which, or course, I don't," she fumed, crossing her arms. Well, so much for professional.

"Really, Miss Granger," he drawled, "I thought you were intelligent. Wasting your…obvious talent…" he seemed to struggle to get those words out, "sitting behind a desk. A _Muggle _desk, no less. Why, even Potter made something useful of himself - teaching charms. Sitting at a desk, leafing through paperwork requires none of the brains you so constantly insisted you had."

"Insulting me isn't going to work, _sir. _I've made my decision, and I'm staying." Despite her hard words, she felt a mix of burning anger and a little shame fill her. Only Snape ever had this effect on her.

She certainly hadn't missed it.

Snape gave her his 'impertinent little chit' glare that she remembered from Potions whenever she raised her hand to answer a question. "Minerva seemed to think that if she gave you enough time to think about your decision, you would come to your senses."

"You would have thought that _three _years would have made it obvious that I don't plan on returning." Hermione said stiffly.

"Three years is nothing to a witch or wizard, Granger," he told her, "which reminds me: you say you want to live as a Muggle for the rest of your life…I trust you know just how long that life is going to be? Magical folk - which is what you are - live much, much longer than the average Muggle. Don't you think suspicions are going to be risen when you reach your one hundred and fiftieth birthday? What about two hundredth?"

Begrudgingly, she admitted he had a point.

"I'll deal with that when it comes to it. Besides, don't you think 'suspicions are going to be risen' if I just go with you back to Hogwarts, and effectively disappear from the Muggle world?" she countered.

"That poses a slight problem, but it would be dealt with accordingly." He said. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming.

Of course it would be.

"I think it's time you left. I have work to do," she said dismissively. She wanted out of this conversation. It was going nowhere. She could have dealt with McGonagall, and perhaps dissuaded her. But not Snape.

"I am not finished with you, Miss Granger," he protested angrily.

"Don't make me call security," she warned. He couldn't take House points from her any longer, nor could he give her a detention. The worst he could do was hex her, but she knew he would refrain from doing so. The repercussions would be too great.

He stood fluidly, his form seeming to vibrate with anger. The glare he gave her was positively murderous.

"Mark my words, you infuriating chit. You _will _return to the Wizarding world with me, one way or the other. I will make sure of it." And, with those words, he stormed out of her office.

She sighed as the door closed, staring down at her coffee. She was in need of a stronger drink, it seemed.

-

**Author's notes:**

1] 'Phillipson's retail and stock' is just a figment of my imagination; no such work place exists. The merging of retail and stock - obviously some of the largest business industries in the world - does not exist and has never happened (as far as I know) but I have merged them on purpose in this fic. It's important. It's just fiction.

2] Hermione's reasons for leaving the magical world will be revealed in later chapters of this story - throughout, basically. As will Severus' reasons for going to retrieve her. Obviously. And I placed her as Deputy Manager for a reason, too. Her job and life as a Muggle will be shown later on, probably the next chapter and onward from there. Basically, everything you don't know will be explained, talked about, etc.

3] I am aware that McGonagall would never say something like that to Snape (as far as I know) but I have played on her liking of Hermione and protectiveness of her students. So, if one were to quit magic, especially if that one were Hermione, I would think she'd be quite devastated and would do what she could to get her back. Besides, it makes for good plot. ;)

The next update should appear in a few days (I hope. If not, them I'm very busy) so please, keep an eye out, and leave me a review. Thanks.

-Pots


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